Pink Palace Family of Museums, Memphis

The interactive exhibits and programs compiled by the Pink Palace Family of Museums reinforce a mission that has stayed constant for over 80 years: to "inspire visitors to discover human cultures, the natural world, technology, and the universe.” Attached to Clarence Saunders' mansion built in the 1920s, the museum's permanent exhibits take an eclectic approach to chronicling the past, revealing everything from ancient fossils to contemporary Mid-South history. Visitors can chart the history of Memphis from the early Spanish explorers through the Civil War or walk through a replica of Saunders' original Piggly Wiggly—the country’s first self-service grocery store, and even see a shrunken head. Global adventures are chronicled on a four-story screen at the CTI 3D Giant Theater. In the AutoZone Dome at the Sharpe Planetarium you are swept up in exploring every corner of our vast universe. This totally different, updated experience is a step into the future! Our 145-seat theater-in-the-round immerses you in a totally new level of sight, sound, and comfort. The dome is 50 feet in diameter with a screen area of 3,925 square feet.

Traveling to east Memphis, one can discern the natural side of the Pink Palace Family of Museums. Lichterman Nature Center encompasses 65 acres of lake, meadow and forest habitats. Lichterman combines self-guided nature walks with a plant sale, a Birds and Seeds event, and educational activities to expose visitors to the natural world. Alternatively, the stately 25-room Mallory-Neely House, located in Victorian Village, features stenciled and hand painted ceilings, parquet flooring, and stained-glass windows purchased at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.